Ruthless

This is War

Meliodas sighed as Tarmiel left the throne room. Elizabeth was concentrating, reading a document. They were in the Throne Room, and it seemed like they were living in it lately.

"There's been two more towns occupied by this unknown force." Elizabeth frowned. "Dale and Arenville. Both in the southeast."

"Someone has to have some information on them!" Meliodas groaned, running his fingers through his hair. "Sapphira?"

"What do you want now, shorty?" Sapphira grinned, walking up to the Throne.

"Can you find Sariel and ask him to send me someone who has info that we don't?" Meliodas asked.

"Fine." She huffed, tossing her hair behind her shoulder. "But I've done so much flying this week I expect extra pay." She smiled playfully and went to the windowsill, yelled the usual "See ya, shorty!" And jumped out the window.

"She's never going to stop calling you that, you know." Elizabeth smiled.

"I know." He complained.

"Excuse me, may I say something, your majesties?" A timid looking servant asked.

"Of course." Elizabeth smiled encouragingly.

"You should go back to your guests. There is nothing that is solved by staring at the same page over and over, your majesties. You've done what you can to help, and you should try and relax a little." He suggested.

"Thank you, I think I might. I'm up for some relaxation." Meliodas nodded, standing up. "Coming, Elizabeth?"

"Okay." She said, grabbing his hand. "Tell us if anything happens, will you?"

"Will do, your majesty." The servant bowed before retreating.

Elizabeth and Meliodas walked to her chambers and collapsed in the large living room. Ban, King, Elaine, Diane, Gelda, Zeldris, Estarossa and Lia were there. They were spread about the room, looking at parchments.

"Everyone, I hunk we should relax a bit. That's what we were advised to do." Elizabeth suggested, and everyone dropped the letters quickly.

They all sat down in the middle of the room.

"Honestly, this week didn't turn out the way I expected it." Diane sighed, leaning against King.

"It really didn't." King agreed. "I expected to get away from some of my Kingly duties, not have more."

"Tell me about it." Elaine sighed, flopping against Ban's chest. "If I reread the same letter from Belltown one more time, I was going to scream."

Elizabeth was sitting in Meliodas's lap, and he was playing with her hair. "I don't understand, how can these attacks come out of nowhere with the only thing in common being the villages haven't been burned?" Elizabeth pondered.

"It's strange. I have an uneasy feeling." Lia nodded.

The day after the competition and the Spa Day, they were given urgent news. A village had been attacked and occupied by unknown forces. In the two weeks since that time, five more villages and towns had been attacked.

Unfortunately, the attacks had no correlation at all, except the fact that there was no magic being used at all. Since it was a threatening issue, the Alliance had to assemble until it was solved. So Elizabeth and Meliodas's friends had been at the castle for a week longer than expected.

"They've started fortifying them, as well." Ban commented.

"Well, I'm worried about where another attack might take place." Diane said.

"Diane, I've got an idea." Estarossa spoke suddenly. "Let's go to the map."

They all got up to go to the large map of Brittania that was on a table.

"Now, all the attacks have been on the southeast of Brittania, correct?" Estarossa said. " Now, you'd think that would be because it's someone coming from the south, namely Camelot."

Estarossa pointed to the map. "Now, but, what if the attackers weren't from Brittania-"

Gelda gasped quietly. "They're trying to blame Camelot."

"Exactly." Estarossa grinned. "But who?"

"Wait, Elaine, didn't you say you had a page of descriptions of a lot of the men attacking?" Zeldris grabbed a letter off of her desk. "Aha. It sounds like the attackers here, at least the ones we've got descriptions of, are our lovely barbarian friends."

"That makes sense!" Elizabeth gasped.  "Mel-"

"Got it. I'm waiting on the official reports, should be in today." Meliodas said. "If it is the Barbarian Country, is this them declaring war?"

"Probably." Zeldris said grimly.

"Oh no..." Elaine looked down. The room went uncomfortably silent, until a servant walked through the doorway, holding a large stack of letters.

"It's the official reports." She stacked them in a pile. "I was also told to inform you that the Supreme Deity has read them all and is calling a Council of War in two hours." She bowed and left.

"That means something bad is happening, doesn't it?" Ban rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Two nervous hours later, they were in the court room for a Council of War. Everyone was nervous, since they hadn't had a Council since the Demon-Goddess War.

"Now, I called you all here since we have an issue. An important one." The Supreme Deity spoke. "You all know about the attacks?" Everyone nodded. "I have some information for you."

The courtroom whispered to itself.

"The attacks are all connected. Thanks to the help of our intelligence service, we have discovered who is behind them."

Elizabeth held her breath, and Meliodas rubbed circles on the back of her hand with his thumb comfortingly.

"The people behind the attacks are people rebelling against the recent alliance."

The courtroom burst out into angry chatter and Elizabeth looked scared. Meliodas didn't seem to change, but he gripped Elizabeth's hand tighter.

"Now, now." The Supreme Deity spoke. "That's not all. We have some facts about their little rebellion. Simply put, their 'Army' is made up of Barbarians, as well as all races."

"Even Goddesses?" One old man burst out.

"Even Goddesses." The Supreme Deity nodded gravely.

"That's preposterous!" He flapped his wings indignantly. "Goddesses could never do something like this! Other clans, especially demons, I could understand-"

"You forget your company." She stated flatly. "I apologise about him. But as I was saying, we are under attack. As I understand it, a major city in the southeast, Asperl, has been attacked today."

"Oh no, does this mean-?" Elizabeth was near tears.

"I'm afraid so." Meliodas frowned.

"I was also sent a message. A declaration of war. As from today, we are at war with the Rebellion." The Supreme Deity declared.

The hall became very loud and angry, until the Supreme Deity spoke again. "And, I would also like to say, I am taking back over control of the Goddess and Demon Clans, and resuming full command of the Alliance."

As everyone got up to leave, she said grimly. "And one last thing you should know. The leaders of this rebellion are The Demon King and Archangel Rueduciel."